


Word Doodles: Kealii

by WarlordFelwinter



Series: Devil Went Down to Faerun and Related Lore [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Devil Went Down to Faerun, Don't copy to another site, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 02:27:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20987306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarlordFelwinter/pseuds/WarlordFelwinter
Summary: some snippets from Kealii's backstory with some hints at Asra's(the chapter titles are Kealii's age)





	1. 5

“Where is it?” 

Makani looked down at the boy sitting on the edge of the pier. He was looking out over the ocean, shading his eyes against the bright light of the sunset. 

“They’ll be here soon,” she assured him, hoping she was right. This was always the worst moment for her--waiting to see those sails on the horizon. Her husband was a capable sailor, she knew, and worked with a good crew on a good ship. It was still nerve-racking, but she had to keep her voice calm and certain, for Kealii’s sake. 

Kealii rubbed his eyes and Makani sat down next to him, holding her parasol over them both. She knew the sun didn’t bother him as much as it did her, but he was still sensitive to it. They had been out since morning, as well. He had to be getting tired. 

She looped an arm around her son and pressed a light kiss to his head. Quietly, she started to sing--one of the sailing songs Vali had taught her. Kealii sang along, kicking his feet in time. Behind her, she could hear one of the dock workers humming to the melody. 

It was funny, in a way. She could still remember when they had first moved here. It was a small town on a rocky shore, with little more than a hundred residents. They were predominantly human, besides the crews that sometimes stopped in. It had taken the town quite a while to become comfortable with a drow living in their midst. 

Makani didn’t mind the odd looks. Her time as an opera singer had garnered her far worse from less friendly people. It was well worth it to live in such a beautiful place. 

By the time the song finished, she could just make out sails on the horizon. 

“Look there,” she said, pointing. “I bet that’s them.” 

Kealii stood up, leaning against her to get a better look as they watched the ship come in. As it got closer, Makani recognized the design on the sails. She smiled and stood up, picking Kealii up and holding him on her hip. Admittedly, he was getting a bit big for it. 

She stepped back, giving the ship room to dock. Almost as soon as it was, and the gangplank dropped, a familiar man hopped across to the pier and ran over, scooping them both up in a tight hug. 

Vali took Kealii from Makani and gave her a kiss. “Hope I didn’t have you too worried. We ran into a bit of poor weather on the way back.” 

“You’re here now, that’s all that matters,” Makani replied, taking his bag from him and putting it over her shoulder. 

“I am and I’ve brought you both presents,” he said, picking Kealii up higher and putting him on his shoulders. Kealii settled down, folding his arms over his father’s head and resting his chin on them. 

Vali tilted his head back, looking up. “Tired already, little beastie?” he asked. “What’s momma had you doing all day, mm?” 

“We went to the circus,” Kealii said. “I learned how to juggle.” 

“Did you?” 

“A little travelling troupe came through town,” Makani said. “You’ll have to show da your juggling when we get home, little one. He’s very good,” she added to Vali.

“I’m not surprised,” Vali said. 

It was almost dark by the time they reached the lighthouse at the end of the road out of town. Makani opened the door and was immediately hit with the warm smell of the dinner that had been cooking all day. 

“I’m going to go get washed up,” Vali said quietly. Makani glanced up and saw that Kealii had fallen asleep. She smiled and reached up as Vali bent down, picking Kealii up off his shoulders into her arms. He shifted slightly, instinctively putting his arms around her neck, but didn’t wake up. 

As Vali went off into the washroom, Makani carried Kealii over to his bed and laid him down, taking his shoes off and tucking him in. She quietly dished up two bowls of stew, just as Vali came back into the main room. She tilted her head towards the stairs and headed up to the lantern room and out onto the widow’s walk, sitting behind the railing and hanging her legs over the edge. 

A few moments later, Vali sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and held up a necklace in front of her face. It was delicate and simple, made of seashells and pearls. 

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she murmured, pulling her hair up and out of the way so he could fasten it around her neck.

“A gift from some merfolk we ran into on the trip,” he said. 

“Merfolk?” Makani asked. “You’ll have to take me on one of these trips, so I can make sure you’re not just inventing all these fantastic stories.” 

“I would never tell tales, my dear,” Vali said, grinning. “Once Kealii is a bit older.” 

“Provided he doesn’t run away to join the circus,” Makani said. 

Vali laughed. “He must have had fun today, I’ve never seen him so tired.” 

“Just you wait, I think he’s been saving up his energy for you to come back,” Makani warned, smiling. 

“I look forward to it,” Vali said. “I’ve missed the little monster.” 

Makani leaned against him and they ate, watching the lantern flash over the dark sea. 


	2. 19

“Look out!” 

Bayle jerked his head up at the shout, turning around just in time to throw his arms out and catch the man who had just fallen off the rigging before he slammed into the railing or dropped into the ocean. He looked down at the young half-drow in his arms, unimpressed. 

Kealii put his arms around the dragonborn’s neck and kicked one foot up in the air, with a wide grin. 

“My hero!” he crooned and Bayle dropped him onto the deck. 

“Thank you for saving my idiot son, Bayle,” a voice called from the upper deck and he looked that way to see Makani, standing at the railing with her parasol. Bayle swept his hat off in an exaggerated bow, making her laugh. Kealii sat up, grinning sheepishly at his mother.

“Can you find something useful for him to do, rather than trying to give me a heart attack?” she asked. 

Bayle grinned. “Oh, I think I can find a use for him.” 

Kealii’s smile immediately vanished. “Wait, what?” he asked, before Bayle grabbed him by the collar and hefted him back to his feet. 

“Come on, silver-tongue, I could use your nimble hands in the galley.” 

“Ohh, I’d be no good at that,” Kealii said, as Bayle marched him below decks. “Lutist’s hands, you know. I can barely hold a knife--"

“That doesn’t make sense.” Bayle grabbed an extra apron and threw it at him. 

“Well, you’d understand if you played an instrument,” Kealii said, looking distastefully at the garment. 

“What makes you think I don’t?” Bayle said, handing him a knife and pointing at a bin of potatoes.

Kealii’s eyes lit up with interest. “Do you? I’ve never seen you play.” 

“It’s not often we’ve got a couple of bards on board, is it?” 

“You should join us!” Kealii said. “The more the merrier, when it comes to music. What do you play? Do you sing?” 

Bayle looked at him for a moment and then smiled. “You’re not going to talk to me enough to get out of chopping,” he said, pushing Kealii toward the bin again. 

The boy flipped around, leaning against the counter and looking at Bayle through half-lidded eyes. “Perhaps I can distract you another way, then,” he murmured. 

Bayle laughed. “Nice try. I’m old enough to be your father,” he said, turning away and going to grab a stew pot from a cabinet. 

Kealii slouched. “You’re no fun,” he muttered. 

“Oh, by all means, keep trying,” Bayle invited. “At this point, I’m curious to see how much you’ll do to get out of chopping a few potatoes.” 

Kealii flipped the knife around in his hand, rolling his eyes. He grabbed a potato and started peeling it with surprising speed, not even bothering to look at what he was doing. 

“It’s not the potatoes that concern me,” he said. “It’s what you’ll certainly make me do next, and then after that. Next thing you know, you might have me washing dishes!” 

“Gods forbid those delicate lutist’s hands have to touch a dirty dish,” Bayle said. 

“I’m glad you agree,” Kealii said. He grabbed up another potato and juggled both of them and the knife in his hands for a moment before tossing the peeled one in a bowl and starting to peel the second. 

“Well look at you,” Bayle said. “Full of surprises.” 

“I try,” Kealii said, smiling. “I’ve actually never juggled a knife before. Don’t tell my mother I did that.” 

Bayle laughed. “Ah, but now I have blackmail against you, don’t I? So you might be washing dishes after all.” 

“I’ll wash the dishes if you agree to join me for the after dinner entertainment,” Kealii said. 

“Fine, fine, if it’ll shut you up…” 


	3. 22

The sun was riding low in the sky as Kealii, Bayle, and Rosemary finished their set in the town square. Kealii swept his lute to the side and took a bow to the applause of the crowd. As he was bent over, he saw something placed into his lute case. It wasn’t coin, it was a leaf of paper decorated with what looked like an advertisement for something. 

He straightened up, about to enforce his no soliciting policy and met the eyes of the man who had put it there. Kealii’s voice died in his throat. The man held his gaze for just a moment, but to Kealii time seemed to stop. He was, quite possibly, the most beautiful person Kealii had ever seen. It was ethereal, in a way, cut by tattoos and piercings and a coat made from different, colorful, patterns. 

His eyes were golden, glimmering in the warm light of sunset, and he winked at Kealii, with a slight smile, before disappearing into the crowd. 

Kealii didn’t realize he hadn’t moved until Rosemary shook him. 

“You still there, darling?” she asked. 

Kealii grabbed the flyer out of his lute case, not replying. It was an advertisement for something called The Moonshadow Troupe. There was no explanation, only a cryptic instruction to follow lights under the shadow of the new moon.  _ A night you’ll never forget _ . 

“Is tonight the new moon?” Kealii asked. 

“What?” Bayle asked. 

“I think so,” Rosemary said. “What is that?” 

“I think there’s a circus in town,” Kealii said, handing the flyer over. 

“I thought we were moving on tonight,” Bayle said. “And this sounds cursed.” 

Kealii waved a dismissive hand, dividing up the coin they’d gotten and packing up his lute. “You don’t have to go if you’re scared,” he said. “But the gods have just gifted me the most beautiful vision of love and I must pursue it or I’ll never forgive myself.” 

Rosemary laughed softly. “There he goes again,” she murmured. 

Bayle rolled his eyes. “Kealii, you fall in love with someone every other day.” 

“And your point?” Kealii asked, standing up again and slinging his lute case over his shoulders. “What fun is life without love?” 

The dragonborn shook his head, but knew there was no point arguing. They went back to the inn, sharing dinner and drinks until night fell. Once it was dark, they headed back out onto the street. Bayle and Rosemary followed Kealii as he meandered around the town, trying to solve the riddle. 

He heard a quiet giggle and a globe of soft lavender light floated into the sky in front of him. Running footsteps sounded behind them and two ghostly pale shapes darted past, wearing outfits of black and purple. They cartwheeled and flipped, tossing up more magic lights as they ran out of town. 

Kealii ran after them, entranced. The mysterious figures led him through the forest that surrounded the town, up toward the mountains. The path of lights led down into an open clearing and Kealii became aware of a sense of dread. It didn’t feel like his own, but it was nearly enough to overshadow his fascination. The twin ghosts stopped. They turned to face Kealii and the rest of the small crowd that had followed these pipers into the forest. They put their fingers to their lips and flipped backward, vanishing midair.

Mist filled the clearing and Kealii became aware of music. The dread rising in his chest drained away and he began to see lights and movement. Another figure emerged from the mist. She laughed, lightly. 

“Welcome, my friends,” she said, lifting her baton and sweeping it into a bow. The gesture summoned a gust of wind that cleared the mist, revealing the tents and caravans, ringed by violet torches. 

“Come in, come in,” the woman beckoned. “Join us for a night of curiosities you won’t soon forget.” She laughed again and disappeared in a flash of smoke. 

Kealii was utterly delighted. He hurried into the clearing, looking in awe as the performers emerged. There were acrobats, jugglers, fire breathers. A man balanced perfectly atop a rope on his fingers. The ghostly twins twisted themselves into impossible shapes. Two little girls shared a single body and sang a quiet song to the eerie pan pipe music of a faun. 

Eventually, the large tent was opened and the woman from before reappeared, beckoning everyone inside. Kealii hurried in, kneeling on the ground at the front of the audience area. Rosemary and Bayle sat on either side of him. Rosemary had seemed as awed as Kealii this entire time, though Bayle remained suspicious. 

“Welcome, formally, to the Moonshadow Troupe,” the woman said. “I am Desiree Brousseau, your ringmaster for the evening. Prepare yourselves for a night you’ll never forget and one you’ll never see again.” 

Two women rolled out of the shadows and Desiree stepped into their hands as they lifted her into the air. They tossed her and she did a flip, backward, into the shadows. The two acrobats took over, almost dancing with each other in impossibly graceful and fluid movements. Others joined in. They spun and flipped and threw each other with flawless choreography. 

A bronze skinned and flame-haired woman swept her hand around, igniting a circle of fire around the performers. Kealii could see them sweating, coming within millimeters of touching the flame as she curled ribbons of fire around their movements. At any moment, at any wrong movement, everything could go badly. 

And then, suddenly, the genasi spun on the ground, sweeping a leg around through the dust and extinguishing the fire. All of the torches illuminating the tent went out and they were plunged into darkness. 

Kealii clapped, and a few uncertain others echoed him. 

The lights flared back on, revealing that the stage had changed. The acrobats were gone and there stood a single woman. The others Kealii had seen outside before the show started, but she was new. And yet, somehow familiar. Tall and beautiful, with piercing golden eyes. She drew a long dagger and another from behind her back, twirling them expertly around in her hands, almost too fast for Kealii’s eyes to keep up with. She slammed the blades together over her head and dragged them along each other, quickly, loosing a shower of sparks. 

The music changed, becoming faster, and she smiled, spinning with a flourish and tearing away her long skirt, revealing a tighter outfit underneath and several more knives strapped to her thighs. She gestured and more lights flared, revealing a wheel to which one of the elven acrobats had been strapped. 

The woman moved swiftly, throwing both of her daggers. They slammed into the wheel on either side of the elf’s head, no more than an inch away from her skin. A shocked gasp came from the crowd and they applauded as the knife-thrower took a bow. She drew two more daggers as she straightened up, balancing them on the tips of her fingers. She tossed them both up, catching them by the blade and flinging them backwards without looking. They hit the wheel, on either side of the elf’s abdomen. She drew two more and traced a circle in the air with her hand. 

Two figures emerged from the shadows and set the wheel spinning. Before the knife-thrower could move, one of the tieflings sprang out and grabbed her, restraining her arms. The genasi leapt up onto her shoulders and tied a dark ribbon around the knife-thrower’s eyes. 

They let her go and she spun around, looking around with exaggerated panic. She threw her remaining four daggers and then stepped aside. The wheel was stopped and the acrobat slipped out of her bindings--which had been snapped by the daggers--rolling forward and leaping to her feet. She held her arms up to show that she hadn’t been hit. The knife-thrower removed her blindfold and they both took a bow to the stunned applause of the crowd. 

Desiree returned, thanking everyone for coming and welcoming them to stay until dawn began to light the sky. 

Kealii went back outside and found that all of the performers had returned to their previous places, almost as if they’d never moved at all. Again, there was no sign of the knife-thrower. And no sign of the man Kealii had seen in town, either. Both of them were so tall, he had no idea how they were hiding so well. 

Eventually, Bayle and Rosemary dragged him away back to town. 

“Have I ever told you that I wanted to join a circus?” Kealii asked his bandmates as they walked back. 

“Well, I doubt you’ll find this one again,” Bayle said. “They seem like a rather secretive lot.” 

Kealii sighed wistfully. “What a life they must lead. The travel, the drama, the theatrics!” 

“It does sound fun,” Rosemary agreed. 

“Is this the part where the two of you try to convince me to join the circus?” Bayle asked. 

Kealii grinned. “Tell you what, let’s go back in the morning and see if we can find them. If we can’t, I’ll let it go.” 

“One of these days I’ll learn to stop making deals with you, but fine.” 


	4. 23

He was a fortune teller and he was infuriatingly mysterious. 

Kealii had been with the Moonshadow Troupe for a year, during which he had not once seen the knife-thrower. He had, however, found the man from town with the colorful coat. His name was Asra and that was all Kealii had gotten from him. 

He had very little reaction to Kealii’s attempted flirting. He wrote poems and songs, gave him flowers and wine and jewelry. Asra accepted them all with the same level of detached amusement and gave nothing in return. 

It got to the point that Bayle and Rosemary became concerned about how invested Kealii was in gaining Asra’s attention. 

“He clearly doesn’t reciprocate, it’s not worth it,” Rosemary told him. 

“He seems like an asshole. He’s just stringing you along,” Bayle said. 

Kealii wasn’t sure. He knew they had good points and, to be honest, he was reaching the end of his patience. He knew himself well enough to know he had a habit of falling in love with every beautiful person he saw. And on the surface, Asra seemed shallow. Around the rest of the troupe, he was loud and a bit aggressive. But Kealii had also seen him be soft and kind when he thought no one was looking. He was patient with Bramble and Briar--the young conjoined twins, and the only children in the troupe--and often made time to play with them. 

Kealii had quickly identified Aria as Asra’s closest friend. She was the blonde, elven acrobat who had been the knife-thrower’s assistant in the first show Kealii had seen. She was friendlier than Asra and seemed to find Kealii’s interest in him amusing. She gave him tips about Asra’s favorite drinks, and even told him that the knife-thrower--Malbec--was an alter-ego of Asra’s. Kealii used that information to learn to juggle daggers in an attempt to impress him. 

He was doing well and Asra did seem almost impressed, until he smiled, and Kealii got flustered. Pain stabbed through his hand as one of the knives sliced into his palm. Asra snatched the blades out of the air and tossed them all up. They came down, slamming into the dirt around Kealii. He leaned close, taking Kealii’s wounded hand in his own. 

Warmth rushed through it and Kealii watched the cut heal. Asra said nothing and walked away. 

That night, Aria sat down next to him at the fireside. 

“I thought you were impressive,” she said. 

“Not impressive enough,” Kealii sighed. “You’re his best friend, what am I doing wrong?” 

“Nothing. Asra’s just… used to this. I think you’re the most persistent suitor he’s ever had, but he can’t walk five feet without someone swooning. He complains about it all the time. Says he wishes he could go back and find whichever of his ancestors decided to fuck an angel and push them into the ocean.” 

Kealii sat up straighter at that, startled. “He’s an aasimar?” he asked, surprised. He’d never met anyone with Celestial blood, as far as he knew, but he’d read about them. It explained quite a bit about Asra, he thought. The way he always looked effortlessly beautiful, the soft, ashen lavender color of his hair, and his golden eyes that seemed to glimmer in any light.

“Supposedly,” Aria said. “He told me a Celestial talked to him once and taught him that sparkly language he uses when he wants to be annoying, but Asra also lies all the time, so who knows.” 

She paused, looking across the camp as Asra ducked into his tent. 

“There’s… another reason he might be ignoring you, and I don’t think it’s my place to gossip about it. Just… I don’t know. Don’t be too disappointed if your efforts don’t come to anything.” 

Kealii sighed, thoughtfully.  _ Once more, _ he thought. One more gesture, and then he’d give up. 


	5. 25

Five years. 

Kealii looked out over the ocean, wondering how so much could change in so little time. Five years ago, he had just begun his life as a travelling minstrel, with Bayle at his side. They had found Rosemary in the second town they’d gone to, playing her flute on a street corner. He and Bayle had joined in with her and, after the performance, she had asked to travel along with them. 

And then the troupe, three years later. 

And now… 

“Hey.” 

Kealii startled out of his thoughts. He turned as Asra waded out to stand next to him in the shallow water, looping an arm around his waist. There were only small waves here, most of the surf broken by the rocks further out in the cove.

And now… Asra. That had been the most startling change two years ago. Asra had never really rebuffed his advances, he was just… indifferent. Evidently burnt out on people trying to get in his bed. So Kealii gave up, eventually. He taught himself Celestial, and while he did, he ignored Asra. Left him alone. 

That, surprisingly, seemed to bother Asra. He didn’t approach Kealii about it, but more than once, Kealii noticed Asra watching him, seeming almost disappointed every time he simply greeted him and moved on. It was enough motivation for Kealii to try his last gesture. A fairly simple poem, all things considered, written in Celestial. He could only hope he hadn’t completely embarrassed himself. The language was a complicated one, but beautiful when he heard Asra speak it. 

And that night, Asra had caught him on the way to his tent and taken him back to his own, finally giving Kealii a chance. 

Kealii had worried a few times that he had worn Asra down. That the aasimar had finally just given in to get Kealii to leave him alone. But Asra assured him that wasn’t the case. He was just tired of flowers and gifts from people who only wanted one thing from him. He had been waiting for something that let him know Kealii was different. In his words, wasting the time to learn a useless language was enough to catch his interest. 

They had been together since. By now, Kealii’s infatuation with him had faded into something quieter and warmer. Calmer, but no less lovely. 

“What’s wrong?” Asra asked. 

“Nothing,” Kealii said, leaning against him. 

“You look pensive. It doesn’t suit you,” Asra said. “And you’re a terrible liar.” 

Kealii rolled his eyes. “Everyone is a bad liar to a fortune teller,” he said. “Besides, I’m not lying. Nothing’s wrong. I’m a little nervous about going home again.” 

“Why? Your parents sound lovely, from what you’ve told me. You always speak so fondly about your childhood.” Asra looked out at the water, seeming like he was trying not to sound jealous. Asra had always been quiet about his childhood. He had called it normal, but the more Kealii talked about his upbringing, Asra seemed to realize something had been wrong with his own. 

Kealii returned his half-hug, squeezing his side lightly. “They are. You’ll like them, I think.” 

Asra laughed, unexpectedly. “Are you worried they won’t like me?” he guessed. As usual, he could read straight through Kealii. 

“A little,” Kealii admitted. “I’m sure they will, but… well, you know, they weren’t overly happy with me joining the troupe. They weren’t  _ surprised _ , but they weren’t pleased. I’ve told them about you, a bit, but…” 

Asra was quiet for a moment, and then he moved in front of Kealii and took both his hands. 

“You were a sailor for a while, right? So you know how to swim?” 

Kealii laughed lightly. “Of course I know how to swim.” 

“Teach me,” Asra said. There was an odd look on his face. Halfway between a smile and nerves. 

“You don’t know how?” Kealii asked, surprised. Asra shook his head, and Kealii realized he was doing it again. Anytime Asra noticed Kealii was getting lost in his own thoughts, or worrying over something too much, or just when it got too quiet, he would divulge some deep held secret about himself in an attempt to distract Kealii. It was an odd, but sweet, habit. 

Kealii smiled and pulled his shirt off, tossing it over onto the rocks. Asra followed suit, taking off his coat and shirt. He allowed Kealii to lead him deeper into the water. Kealii stopped when he was up to his waist, noticing the way Asra had tensed. 

For someone who read other people so easily, Asra himself was fairly difficult to read most of the time. Kealii had been getting better at it, though, and he thought he could see something now. 

“Are you… afraid of the water?” he asked. 

“I’m not  _ afraid _ ,” Asra said defensively, clearly lying as he looked nervously at the water around them.

Kealii grinned. “You  _ are _ !” he said. “Oh don’t glare at me like that. Everyone’s afraid of something.” He backed further into the water, pulling Asra out with him and seeing his breath speed up as the water came up to his chest. At this point, Kealii was treading water. Asra was at least a foot taller than him. 

“Don’t worry, babe, I won’t let you drown,” Kealii promised, putting his arms around Asra’s shoulders and pulling himself up enough to kiss him. 

“If you do, I’m going to haunt you forever,” Asra replied. 

“Come on, just step out until you can’t reach the bottom anymore. It’s instinctive.” 

“Kealii, I’ve been in the water before. It’s really not.” 

“Here, then,” Kealii said, putting Asra’s hands on his shoulders. “Use me.” He backed up again, pulling Asra out until his feet weren’t touching anymore. Asra clung tightly to him. 

They spent the rest of the morning in the water, and Asra eventually got to the point that he let go of Kealii. He used his newfound skill to swim back to a place where he could get his feet under him and walk back to the sand. 

Kealii splashed after him, catching up in the shallows. “I’m proud of you,” he said. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Asra said. “I still hate the water.” 

Kealii laughed, pulling him down for a light kiss. “I’ll get you to love it one of these days.” 

“I’d like to see you try.” 

* * *

Makani hummed to herself as she waited for the kettle to boil. It was nearing evening and she was trying not to be worried. She had received a letter a week ago from her son, promising he would be home in time for her birthday. He had also promised an extravagant gift, which she was a little concerned about. Although, she thought Kealii might have a hard time not being extravagant. 

“You’re fidgeting,” Vali said. “You know he’ll be here soon.” 

“I know,” she said. 

“But you’re still worried.” 

“Of course,” she said, taking the kettle off the fire and pouring water into the waiting tea pot. “It’s my job to worry, I’m his mother.” 

“And it’s my job to reassure you,” Vali replied. He turned her toward him and gave her a light kiss after she set the kettle aside. He leaned back and looked her in the eye, one hand on her cheek. His weatherworn and suntanned face had aged so much faster than hers in the past years. Sometimes, she found herself thinking of the days when she would be here alone, but she tried not to. At least Vali didn’t go out on fishing ships anymore. He had retired to his painting. 

“You know Kealii can take care of himself. I taught him to use a sword. You taught him magic. He’s got his lute. And he’s not alone. He’s got Bayle and Rosemary, not to mention that circus.” 

Makani exhaled and smiled. “I know,” she said, feeling calmer. Before she could get her tea, there came a knock at the door. 

“Oh!” she exclaimed, hurrying over and opening it. On the other side stood a familiar young man, beaming from ear to ear. 

“Happy birthday, momma!” he exclaimed, scooping her up in a tight hug. Makani returned it, laughing. Kealii put her back down on her feet and she kissed his forehead. 

“Oh, thank you little one,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

“Of course! When do I ever get into trouble?” Kealii asked. A gentle laugh came from behind him and Makani looked up, becoming aware that her son was not alone. A tall man stood behind him. Even though she had never seen him before, she immediately recognized him from the many letters she had received from Kealii gushing about him. 

“Hello,” she said. “You must be Asra. Come in, come in.” 

“Oh, right!” Kealii said, taking Asra’s hand and leading him inside. He had to duck to come through the door. Kealii quickly hugged Vali as well and then stepped back, gesturing to his boyfriend. He was at least a foot taller than Kealii, with brown skin that from what Makani could see was heavily tattooed, soft lavender hair, and bright golden eyes. He looked exactly like the sort of person Kealii might meet in a night circus, and also exactly like the sort of person Kealii would fall for.

“Momma, da, this is Asra. Asra, my parents.” 

“Lovely to meet you, Mrs. and Mr. Malo,” Asra said. Kealii laughed. 

“You don’t have to be so formal,” he said. 

“I’ve never done this,” Asra replied quietly, a hint of nerves breaking through his unreadable expression.

Makani felt a surge of fondness. “You’re doing fine,” she assured him. “You don’t need to try to impress us. If Kealii likes you, that’s good enough for us.” 

He exhaled, visibly relaxing. Kealii looked out the window suddenly and then lightly smacked Asra on the arm, getting his attention. 

“Can you go… do the… what we talked about?” he asked in a low voice. 

“Yeah, see you later,” Asra said, ruffling a hand through Kealii’s hair and leaving. 

“What are you plotting?” Vali asked. 

“I did say I had a birthday present for you,” Kealii said, grinning. “But it’ll take a moment and your tea’s getting cold.” He hurried over to the kitchen and picked up Makani’s teacup, bringing it back to her. 

They all sat down, Kealii between them as always. He talked excitedly about the adventures he had had over the past two years with the troupe. Quite a few of his stories took tangents to talk about Asra and Makani couldn’t help but smile. Kealii had always been one to become infatuated quickly, with nearly everyone he met. But there was something different in his eyes when he talked about Asra. He was completely in love. 

As he gestured, Makani noticed something on his left arm. She took ahold of his wrist and flipped his arm over to find a tattoo. It was fairly simple, a bundle of flowers. 

“When did you get a tattoo?” she asked. She wasn’t surprised. Kealii had always been fascinated by Vali’s tattoos. It was only a matter of time before he got his own, though flowers seemed an odd way to start. 

“Oh, it’s um…” He blushed. “It was Asra’s idea. We had Jardani do them for our two year anniversary.” 

“Aww,” Makani cooed, half teasing. 

There came another knock at the door. Vali got up and opened it and let out a surprised noise. Twin, albino elves stood outside, dressed in tight, striped garb of black and purple. They said nothing, looking inside emotionlessly, and then bowed, gesturing outside, before turning away. 

Makani got up and hurried over, intrigued. She watched the twins dance down the slope toward the beach, leaving a trail of magic lavender lights. Where the ground levelled, she could see that tents and caravans had been set up. 

“Happy birthday,” Kealii said, a hand on each of their shoulders. “We planned a show just for you.” 

“Oh, Kealii, you didn’t have to do that,” Makani said. “I’m sure everyone’s tired from travelling—” 

“Come on,” Kealii said, pushing them both outside. “We put a lot of work into it.” He closed the door of the lighthouse and led the way down the path into the night. 


	6. 27

“This is a nice town.” 

Kealii practically felt the way Asra tensed and he stifled a sigh, knowing where this conversation would lead. 

“It’s got a nice textile district,” he offered, instead. “We should go back tomorrow. I’ll buy you something for the reading mat you wanted to make.” 

Asra exhaled, relaxing. He nodded. “Sure,” he said. “We’ll have to be quick. I think Desiree wants to head out fairly early.” 

Kealii tilted his head. “We could stay a few days,” he said slowly, trying to be careful. He knew this could be a touchy subject if he didn’t approach it right. “You always talk about how much you love the weather here and I found the cutest little inn down by the coast. We deserve a vacation, don’t we?” 

Asra looked at him, almost wary. “I agree,” he said. “If that’s all this is about.” 

“What else would it be about?” Kealii asked, trying to sound innocent. 

Asra sighed. “Let me see how much of your plan I’ve got right. Get me to agree to staying a few days in town. Go out of your way to make sure the entire stay is delightful and romantic. Probably get me drunk before asking me to come look at the adorable little shop you’ve found for sale and make off hand comments about how perfect it would be for a fortune teller’s shop?”

“I wouldn’t have gotten you drunk,” Kealii said. 

“We’ve already had this argument, Kea,” Asra said, frustrated. “You know how I feel about settling down. I don’t want to be in the same place all the time, doing the same things over and over. I’d die of boredom.” 

“So I’m boring?” Kealii countered, and immediately felt bad. 

“That’s not what I said,” Asra replied. 

“I know, I’m sorry. I just… I just don’t understand what’s so bad about it.” 

“Nothing,” Asra said. “It’s just not for me. I’m not ready, or interested, and I might never be, and I need you to stop springing this on me.” 

“I just want to talk about it,” Kealii said. 

“And I don’t!” 

“So we won’t, because what I want doesn’t matter,” Kealii said. He knew that wasn’t true, but it was frustrating that this was the subject Asra got so defensive about. It was the same reason they hadn’t gotten married. They had talked about it and Asra had insisted it was pointless. They loved each other, why did they need to prove it? Kealii didn’t think that was the point, but he let it go. The more afraid Asra was of something, the more stubbornly he fought back against it. He was evidently terrified of the idea of domesticity. 

“Yeah, welcome to the fucking show,” Asra said. “I’m the asshole.” 

“Asra—” 

“No. I’m done with this.” Asra turned to leave and Kealii panicked. 

He leapt up and grabbed Asra’s arm. “Please don’t leave, I—” 

Asra looked at him. “I’m not leaving  _ forever _ ,” he said. “I just need to be alone for a little bit.” He sighed and kissed Kealii’s forehead lightly. “Look, I love you, and I’ll be back in the morning, but right now I want to be drunk.” 

And with that, he ducked out of the tent. Kealii stood where he was for a moment, debating whether or not to go after him.  _ No _ , he told himself, trying to relax. Asra would be back. 

* * *

The sun rose into a sky dyed red.

_ Like blood, _ Kealii thought. He followed the trail of magic down the cobbled street, wondering if that was an omen.

"Don't be depressing," he told himself, with a sigh. Omens and portents were more of Asra's thing, anyway. But he couldn't stop himself being worried. He should have known better than to get into that argument with Asra. 

He had waited for him at the camp through the night, with some flowers and an apology, before getting fidgety and casting a location spell on Asra's one-of-a-kind coat to track him down. Kealii had rarely seen him without it and it was a surer bet than trying to describe his bizarre tarot cards.

It hadn't moved, was the worrying thing.

_ He's just gotten himself drunk and passed out in an alley, _ Kealii told himself, trying to sound reassuring. As the magic got stronger, he quickened his step. He would take Asra back to camp and get him sobered up and apologize. Everything would go back to normal. Maybe Asra would even apologize. That would be novel.

The bard rounded a corner and saw a pile of distinct, brightly colored fabric. He exhaled in relief.

"There you are, love. You should really watch where you black out, your coat's going to need washing again."

Kealii walked closer and saw the pale morning sun glinting off something dark and wet on the cobbles. His heart leapt into his throat, pounding painfully as he tried to convince himself it was wine. He ran the last few steps and fell to his knees next to the body.

"No, no, no," he gasped. "Oh, gods, no, please—Asra!" He shook the aasimar, trembling hands feeling in vain for a pulse. There was a single wound in his chest—a clean cut into his heart.

"You can't do this to me!" he sobbed, pulling Asra into his arms. "Wake up, you ass!"

Kealii murmured and chanted, forcing all of his magic into every healing spell he knew, until he was shaking with exhaustion, but it was no use. Too late.  _ Too late _ .

He pressed a kiss to Asra's cold lips. That worked sometimes in stories, didn't it? The aasimar's golden eyes reflected the dawn sky dully, devoid of any of their usual light. Kealii pressed his head to Asra's chest, sobbing into the multicolored coat that still smelled of magic and spice, tempered by the sickly sweet stench of blood and wine. 


End file.
